Flood-gate



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON THOMAS BEDFORD, OF VAN WERT, OHIO.

FLOOD-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,793, dated MaY.. l, 1887.

Application filed February 16,1857. Serial No. 227,801. (ModelJ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON THOMAS BEDn FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing atVan WVert, in the county of Van vVertand State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Flood-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in flood-gates; and it consists in a certain novel construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out inthe claim.

The obj eet of my invention is the provision of a gate which will be rid of the disadvantages incidentto thegates heretofore provided, without losing any of the advantages derived therefrom. To this end I combine a cap or stop to prevent the gate rising offits hinges, with a brace to prevent the free' end of the gate sagging, and rods to prevent lateral saggingof the gate.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front view of the gate closed. Fig. 2 represents an edge or end view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a rear view of the gate to show the sustaining-bars, and Fig. 4 shows a front View of a modification, in which one leaf only is used.

Referring tothe drawings byletter, A designates the two gates of similar construction. Each gate is composed of thepivotal or hinged posts a, the similar horizontal rails running therefrom to form the top edge of the gate, the verticalrail a at the free or swinging end of the gate, which rail is secured near its upper end between the said horizontal rails, and a proper number of vertical and horizontal rails ar' ranged close enough to each other to form a bearing'surface for the water when opening the gate. Each gate is cut away at its lower outer corner, as shown. The post a has secured to its outer edge the loops or rings 6, which engage with the pintles b, secured to the adjoining side of the adjacent post 13, upon which the gate is hung. If desired, hinges may be used in place of the rings and pintles.

The posts 13 have their lower ends fixed firmly into the bed of the stream, mud-sills being used to make their positions perfectly secure. When the mud-sills are used, the lower ends of the posts are secured thereto and the posts are braced'by rods running from the sills.

The posts B incline upstream as they ascend,

'and the gates are connected to their downstream sides, so as to close together by gravity.

b" b are stop-blocks secured to the posts B, to impinge upon the posts a of the gates and prevent the latter from opening more than at right angles, and I)" b are plates secured to the tops of the posts B and projecting over the 6) tops of the posts a, to prevent the latter from becoming disconnected or unhinged.

O O are brace-bars having their respective ends secured to the tops of the posts a and the tops of the rails a, and serving to prevent the gates from sagging or twisting.

D is a block, either of wood or of stone, secured firmly in the center of the bed of the stream and projecting a little above the same, so that the lower ends of the rails a a will, when the gates close, strike against its inclined surface (I and prevent the gates from swinging past their point of closure.

Each gate has secured to its upper rail, on the upstream side and near its meeting edge, an eyebolt, 6, having a rod or bar, E, swung to its eye and depending therefrom. Should the gate sag or twist over at top the end of this rod would engage on the bottom of the stream, so as to hold itu p and prevent further sagging. The described gates are thus constructed cheaply and strongly, and are durable and thoroughly effective.

When the stream rises and the water flows down strongly, the force of the current opens the gates to their widest extent, so that all floating material can pass through. When the stream falls, the gates close by gravity and remain closed tillopened by the rising stream.

The gates are cutaway from above downward and inward, as shown at F, Fig. 1, to accommodate them to the pitch of the bed of the stream from the bottom of the same to the banks. As the parts incline backward and are placed somewhat nearer together than the edges of the banks, the gatesin swinging open will lift and will clear theincline on each side.

Each gate has forming part of itself a-door, G, hinged at its upper edge to the upper portion of the gate. This door will open before the gatepp'ens and will allow drift-wood and other refuse to pass before the stream rises very high.

If desired, the lowest hinge of the gate may be situated above the leaves thereof, and only row streams or ditches, as shown in Fig. 4. gates on their upstream sides at their swing- Having described my invention, I olaiming ends, all arranged and operating substan- I 5 As an improvement in floodgates, the comtially as described. 5 bination of the inclined posts, the gates hinged In testimony that I claim the foregoing as upon the downstream side of the inclined my own I have hereto affixed my signature in posts and having their end posts, a, extending presence of two witnesses.

to the upper ends of the inclined posts the plates 1)", secured upon the upper ends of the MILTON THOMAS BEDFORD' one leaf may be used in connection with nargates, and the swinging rods E, hung upon the IO inclined posts and projecting over the ends of Vitnesses:

the posts a, braces connecting the upper ends A. N. KROUT, of the posts a with the swinging ends of the S. W. LONG. 

